At the very time when George W. Bush unveiled his views on American foreign policy last week, China's Gen. Xiong Guangkai was in Europe demonstrating both the strengths and the limitations of what Bush had to say. Bush's speech was crafted by an illustrious group of advisors, most of whom had served in his father's administration.

At the very time when George W. Bush unveiled his views on American foreign policy last week, China's Gen. Xiong Guangkai was in Europe demonstrating both the strengths and the limitations of what Bush had to say. Bush's speech was crafted by an illustrious group of advisors, most of whom had served in his father's administration.

Chinese military officials, in their first high-level discussions with the Pentagon in years, said they will try to pressure North Korea to drop its nuclear weapons programs, U.S. officials said. At the same time, the Chinese refused to rule out using military force to reunite Taiwan with the mainland. Douglas J. Feith, the No. 3 Pentagon official, who headed the U.S. delegation, said the talks were "useful" and "professional." Gen.

U.S. and Chinese officials gave a boost to the recovering military ties between their countries by opening a round of high-level defense consultations. Washington regards military ties with Beijing as a key part of their relations. But contacts were cut off after the collision of a U.S. Navy surveillance plane with a Chinese fighter jet three years ago, and are resuming slowly. Delegations to the consultations were led by Douglas J. Feith, a U.S.

Top U.S. diplomats, completing two days of intensive talks with Chinese officials, Friday urged Beijing to show the "highest possible degree of restraint" when Taiwan elects a new president next month. U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Strobe Talbott, in talks with key Chinese foreign affairs and military officials, expressed concern about a Chinese missile buildup near the Taiwan Strait, according to a U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity.

In a clear sign of a warming trend in U.S.-China relations, Washington and Beijing have agreed to resume military-to-military contacts at the highest level. In response to an invitation from China, the Clinton administration will send Defense Secretary William S. Cohen and the commander in chief of the U.S. Pacific Command, Adm. Dennis Cutler Blair, to Beijing in coming months. The invitation was extended during 14 hours of talks in Washington this week between top Pentagon policymakers and Lt.

A high-level Pentagon official met with army commanders here Wednesday in an effort to resurrect U.S.-Chinese military contacts, taking another baby step on the road to better ties after last year's spy plane crisis. Peter Rodman, assistant defense secretary for international security affairs, came to Beijing on the heels of last month's visit to Washington by Chinese Vice President Hu Jintao, the heir apparent to China's top post. Hu's meeting with Defense Secretary Donald H.

The United States and China will resume high-level military contacts later this month, the Pentagon said Wednesday, marking one of the final steps toward a resumption of formal contacts broken after the U.S. bombing of Beijing's embassy in Yugoslavia last May. While the planned visit of Chinese army Lt. Gen. Xiong Guangkai to Washington from Jan.

The chief of Chinese military intelligence has been reassigned in a move that government officials here insisted was unrelated to his role in the U.S. campaign donations scandal. Gen. Ji Shengde's apparent demotion--from directing intelligence for the vast People's Liberation Army (PLA) to running a department at a military research institute--was characterized as a lateral transfer by a spokesman for the National Defense Ministry.

Does China really have any influence over North Korea? Now that the North Koreans have begun to menace their neighbors with a new missile, it's long past time for the Clinton administration to find out. The answer is important not only to America, but also to its Asian allies and to China itself.

Earlier this month, the Clinton administration quietly settled upon a strategy for smoothing over frictions with China caused by the NATO air war against Yugoslavia and the U.S. bombing of the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade. According to senior officials, the strategy went like this: Don't hope for much until China's top leaders conclude a series of meetings next month at the Chinese seaside retreat of Beidaihe.